Restauranteur Con Dedes Reveals the Attraction of Operating in NSW Clubs

Restaurateur Con Dedes says the NSW club industry has played a pivotal role in getting him where he is today as the successful owner of the famed Dedes Waterfront Group.

“I spent the best part of my infancy there [in clubs], Mum and Dad had a beautiful restaurant called Dedes Restaurant which was then known as the Wests Soccer Club… so hence, yeah, it’s been super formative,” he tells the ClubLIFE Podcast in a new episode released today.

The relationship with the club industry is one that’s stood the test of time, with the Dedes Waterfront Group portfolio currently consisting of the Regatta Club at Haberfield Rowers Club, Watergrill at Sydney Rowing Club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and most recently Alpha at the Hellenic Club.

The Group has also previously operated restaurants at Kirribilli RSL, Cronulla RSL and Parramatta RSL, with Con telling the ClubLIFE Podcast that there’s a strong appeal in opening eateries inside registered clubs.

“We used to call them a sleeping giant, now they’ve certainly awoken… I think because inherently… you can walk into a registered club and now know who you’re talking to, where they’re from, what they’re doing, and what not, and so I think (as a people person) the attraction is there,” he says.

“I grew up in them, but I can also see that because there’s inherent commercial benefits of being within a registered club as well… I think we’ve just gone on with that.”

Having spent more than four decades working within the hospitality industry, Con says the quality and diversity of food inside NSW clubs has changed enormously in that time.

“You could go to most registered clubs in NSW and get food and beverage fare, which is world’s best practice, once upon a time it was certainly different,” he says.

“You could have a chef that could construct a really good sauce and maybe mask an average piece of protein, but today that just doesn’t happen because the guest — our member, our visitor — is a whole lot more informed and you just don’t get away with it.

“So, unless you’re industry best practice, world’s best practice at what you’re doing, you’re not going to sustain.”

In a wide-ranging conversation on the ClubLIFE Podcast, Con also shares his personal story of being born with a congenital heart issue and having open heart surgery in 1976, to now acting as an ambassador for HeartKids and Heart Research Australia.

Click on the link below to hear the full interview with Con Dedes in the eighth episode of the ClubLIFE Podcast, which is also available via ClubLIFE.com.au, Apple, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcasts.

If you have a suggestion on who might make an interesting guest for a future ClubLIFE Podcast episode, get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected].